


The Gaijin Girl

by TeaganNye



Category: Ranma 1/2
Genre: And a girlfriend who doesn't hit him, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Female Saotome Ranma, Friendship/Love, Genderfluid Saotome Ranma, Love Confessions, Original Character(s), Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ranma Saotome gets a hug, Ranma Saotome needs a hug, She's got sass once the chapters get flowing, She's not a pushover though, ranma finally gets a friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23441137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaganNye/pseuds/TeaganNye
Summary: Nagako Anikulapo-Kuti was an optimist by nature. She was never without a smile on her face and a skip in her step, but when a tragedy leaves her thrust into Japan, a country she hasn't lived in since childhood, her world begins to feel a lot smaller than she's used to. That is until she meets one Ranma Saotome, the most eligible bachelor and bachelorette of Furinkan High School. All of a sudden her world goes from black and white to exploding with color thanks to one pig-tailed martial artist. From home economics, tournaments, and bentos, to makeshift therapy sessions and cringe-worthy repressed childhood trauma, what will become of this gaijin girl?
Relationships: Saotome Ranma/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 35





	1. The Hand That Rocks The Gaijin

**Author's Note:**

> HI! My name is Teagan Nye and this is my first story on AO3! I love writing and originally I was on Wattpad but even though I have tried not to leave it behind, it just isn't the story platform it used to be. I've started to read on platforms outside of the app and so far I've found way more stories with much higher quality, lol. I wanted to be able to post a story where it would get more interaction and hopefully be appreciated by more people. Anyway... I hope you enjoy chapter one of The Gaijin Girl!!
> 
> On to the story :)

Nagako’s POV

I opened my eyes as my alarm clock blared next to me, burying my head into my pillow. I turn on my side as I reach for the snooze button; wiping the sand out of my eyes and sitting up. Waking up completely was always a hard process for me, sleep clinging onto my subconscious as I struggled to escape its grasp. I shook my head and removed my bonnet letting my plaits fall free down my back.

The sun filtered through my windows illuminating my room, the breeze making my curtains gently sway. After opening my window, the sounds of Nerima filled my head. The people making their way around the town, the birds chirping as they sing their morning songs, children running around enjoying the last week of summer, before school began. I lay my head onto my arms and take it all in, quickly meditating before I started my day.

Hopping out of bed I stretched and walked into my closet picking out my outfit for the day. I turn around and head towards the door, opening it and walking into the hallway. Unopened boxes crowd the walkway and living room; reminding me of all the unpacking I had yet to begin. 

Scratching my stomach I step into the bathroom and close the door, making my way to the sink I place my clothes onto the countertop and open a random box hoping to find my toiletries.

As I search, I hear a faint tapping sound, looking around I angle my head upwards and squint only to feel a water droplet hit my nose. I couldn’t help but curse my aunt for her choice in apartments. Above me was none other than a water damaged ceiling with faint cracks lining it. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I say as I assess the damage, “This is ridiculous, I literally just moved in here!” Making my way back to the sink I struggle to locate the water valve. Once I find it, I twist it until it turns off and do the same for the toilet’s valve. The leaking slows and eventually stops altogether. Moving back to the boxes I locate my toothbrush and toothpaste along with a washcloth and two towels. The first towel being for me and the second one for my wet floor. 

I leave the bathroom and head into the kitchen, checking for more leaks along the way, setting down my clothes, I turn on the kitchen sink and proceed to brush my teeth and towel off. This was by far the most humiliating thing I’d done since moving to Japan, but of course this was only the first day. 

As I put on my delicates I head into my room to put on some deodorant, passing by the phone on my way there. How I dreaded the call to come. Putting on my shorts and a t-shirt I slipped on some socks and headed back to the landline. Taking in a deep breath I steeled myself and dialed my aunts number. 

Putting the phone to my ear, I took another deep breath to calm my nerves. This wasn’t going to be pleasant. I busied myself with the notepad I’d placed next to the receiver, starting a grocery list for today’s shopping. The first thing on the list being flex tape. As I started writing out the rest of my list, the line picked up. 

‘’Hello, this is Morizuka Hiroko, how may I help you?’’

“Hello Morizuka-sama, it’s me Nagako.”

‘’What do you want gaijin, I told you not to call me at this time of day.’’

“My apologies Morizuka-sama, I have a leak in my bathroom and I wanted to know if the lease covered it, I don’t exactly have that much money with me right now considering all the things I had to pay for yesterday when you didn’t show up.”

‘’I don’t know where your lease is, just deal with it as best you can and fix it when your check comes in; honestly, I hope you didn’t expect me to pay for it. In case you forgot, I have my own children to worry about.’’

“But it's a major leak, if I wait until my check comes it’ll be even worse!”

‘‘Are you really complaining? Even after everything I’ve done for you. I didn’t have to get you that apartment or sign those forms for you, you could have been on the street. Unless you’re severely injured or actively dying you don’t have the right to complain gaijin. Honestly, I have no idea how my foolish sister tolerated such disrespect, it must be that impure blood of yours that allowed her to pardon you for such behavior.’’

“Morizuka-sama, I’m truly sorry to bother you about this but please, don’t say such things about my mother, I’ll find another way to fix the leak before my check comes in, thank you for your guidance.”

"You don’t tell me what I should and shouldn’t say about my sister, you’re nothing but her foolish mistake that I’m left to care for, at least you have enough sense to thank me for my wasted time. If you still have problems with the roof, find another apartment for all I care, just don’t call me for such trivial things again. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

“Crystal, Morizuka-sama.”

The line went dead as I removed the phone from my ear. Setting it down onto the receiver, I grab the notepad and continue to write my list. Once I finish, I release a breath and rip the list off of the pad, folding it and placing it into my pocket.

Heading back into my room, I grabbed a pair of sneakers and unceremoniously plop onto my bed. As I tie the laces onto my shoes I allow my mind to wander.

‘I’m in over my head, I can’t do this,’ I draw my laces tight as the gravity of my situation reaches me, ‘ I’m in a new country with a language I barely understand and a writing system I’ve just started to learn, I don’t have a physical copy of my lease so there’s nothing to keep the landlord from kicking me out if I called them to help, not only that but it seems like the only support system I have just iced me out and told me to deal with a major leak by myself.’

As I lifted my head up my eyes scan across my bedroom, it was in complete disarray. My clothing for today, an old t-shirt and shorts, felt a bit too dressed down but considering the fact that all of my other clothes were still in storage, what I was wearing seemed to be the best bet.

“How wonderful,” I say sarcastically to myself, finally standing and heading back into the living room.

The sunlight filtering through my windows did little to lighten my mood, but the faint sound of windchimes put a small smile on my face. The last weeks of summer had passed by in the blink of an eye and I still had much to do, but this was Japan; a country full of culture, fashion, and food, there was no way I’d still be bored once I found the time to explore. 

As I grabbed my purse and house key, I looked around at my new home, a genuine smile lighting up my face, this would be okay, I would be okay.

‘Maybe this won’t be too bad, I’m sure this’ll all work out.’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was raining.

Between the five minutes it took for me to leave my house and reach the store, the sunny day that greeted me in the morning had vanished out of nowhere. At first, it seemed like the clouds were moving in to cool down the day, but in the few seconds it took for me to take notice of the small shift in the weather, the rain was already pouring down.

I started to move a little faster, my t-shirt sticking to my body while I picked up the pace. I didn’t bring an umbrella or a jacket and these sneakers definitely weren’t made for water. As I turned the corner, the convenience store came into view. The streets were surprisingly barren, but a storm like this was probably all it took for everyone to run inside. Even so, it was kind of odd how quickly people were vanishing, they all had umbrellas on them so I’d assumed that they expected this weather.

‘Doesn’t really matter to me though, If they want to go inside that’s their business,’ I think to myself. Reaching the entrance to the store, I shook myself off as best as I could before stepping into the frigid air. Looking around I picked up a basket and grabbed some plastic umbrella covers, kneeling down and slipping them over my shoes, I tie a makeshift knot to keep them secure and ring out my plaits once I’m done.

Standing up, I take a look around, spotting an employee towards the back of the first aisle. I made my way towards the old woman.

“Excuse me ma’am, I was wondering if you carried flex tape, or any other adhesives that could stop a leak temporarily?” 

“Oh, I’m sure we have some vinyl tape in the back, oh my-” she turned towards me as she spoke, taking notice of my soaked appearance, “ A young girl like you will catch a cold with how wet you are come now lets see if we can get you an umbrella to go along with that tape.” 

She led me towards the back as she fussed over my appearance. I picked up a few things in between our walk, a majority of these items were foodstuffs, but I was able to find a poncho amongst the products we’d passed by. 

“Here you are, I’ll ring that up for you if you’d like.” 

“I need to grab a few more things but thank you for your assistance ma’am,” I bow to her as she gives me a smile, turning away and heading back to the aisle I first found her in.

Moving back to the foodstuffs, I grabbed some canned soups, cereal, and energy bars. Water bottles were also on my list, so as I moved towards the refrigerated section of the store I grabbed a small container of milk and two packs of water.

Finally, I was finished with my shopping trip and headed back towards the register. The old woman was still in the first aisle, but another lady was behind the front counter. As I unloaded my groceries and miscellaneous items onto the counter, I grabbed one of the miniature umbrellas at the front of the store and brought it over to her.

“Will this be all for you today?”

“Yes ma’am,” I said as I looked at the candies and gums on the shelf behind her “Everything was very easy to find.”

“That’ll be 2,868 yen.”

I opened my wallet and gave her the money, grabbing my bag and heading towards the door, but as I went to exit, the cashier called out. 

“Did I forget something ma’am,” I ask anxiously, turning back around.

“No, you didn’t its just,” Her eyes shift to meet the old woman who stood a couple feet away, she looked back at me and continued, “You’re such a beautiful young lady, these trends just don’t suit you, that gaudy tan hides your natural beauty and I’m positive you’d look better once you lighten up again.”

I clutched my bag tightly as she continued to talk, my eyes struggling not to tear up. I tuned back into her as she finished speaking, looking at me expectantly with hope in her eyes. I struggled to come up with a response as I cleared my throat.

“I truly appreciate your concern ma’am but, I’m naturally this dark. Thank you f-for your advice.” My voice cracked as I swallowed and bowed, turning and walking out of the store again without looking back.

The rain had stopped, but the streets were still barren. I continued to look forward as my eyes began to tear up. I gripped my bag harshly, as I bit my lip. Wiping my eyes and turning the corner, I faltered then stopped walking completely.

‘Now what would father say if he saw me crying over such a trivial thing...but it’s not just this is it?’ 

Taking a few moments, I breathed in deeply and calmed myself. As I began to walk again, I took notice of the ward. The canal wasn’t that far from my apartment and I passed over a bridge somewhere further down the road. Continuing on down the road, I pass by an alleyway. A small sound catches my attention as I come to a stop. Looking down, I feel myself freeze up.

There was a hand.

Leading into the alley there was a hand, an arm really, with an arm brace placed upon it. The rain began again as I looked over, praying to God that I wasn’t about to discover a dead body. There were still no people on the road, and despairingly I realized that I was alone.

‘This is the kind of stuff that gets people killed, hadn’t my father taught me to leave things that don’t concern me alone?’

Stepping into the alley, my eyes adjust as I kneel next to the body. They were thankfully still breathing and were letting out pitiful moans of pain. I cautiously placed my hand onto their head, pulling back almost immediately after I made contact. They were burning up something fierce and were quickly becoming soaked. 

“Can you hear me?” I ask as I go to lift the newly discovered woman up. “I’m going to lift you up now okay, I know you’re unconscious but I’m taking you inside, I’m not going to harm you so please don’t kill me while I sleep.”

I lift her up bridal style as I headed out of the alley, her silk clothing felt slippery as I struggled to keep my grip on her. Fumbling down the street, I quickly break out into a sweat as the girls added weight begins to push my limits. We round another corner as my apartment building comes into view. Starting to lightly jog, I take notice of the girl’s appearance. 

Her hair is the first thing I take notice of, it's a fiery red and sticks to her forehead, a pig tail hangs over her shoulder. Her shirt and pants both feel smooth, silk is the first thing that comes to mind, but I could be wrong. 

As I start to climb the stairs, I shift the girl in my arms, laying her head onto my shoulders and holding her up under her thighs with one arm, the other reaching in my purse to grab my key. Reaching my apartment, I slip the key in, and unlock the door, pushing it open with my foot and stepping into the threshold. 

The girl mumbled incoherently into my neck, as I closed the door behind me. Setting down my bag, I shifted the girl back into the bridal carry she was in before. I make my way around the boxes and head towards my room. The girl shivered in her sleep, her mumbling get quieter as she began to sweat.

Once I sat her onto my bed, I begin to take in her full appearance. Her hair was even brighter than I’d assumed at first glance, it was a ruby red and matched the oversized silk shirt that she wore. Her pants were baggy on her petite frame, and her shoes seemed a couple sizes too big. Her breaths came out in short puffs and her face was covered in sweat and rainwater. She was definitely sick with the flu, but if I did this right she would be fine by morning.

“Alright baby girl, let's get you out of these wet clothes.” I said to myself as I began to take her shirt off. I knew that I had some clean pajamas that would fit her frame in my closet, so all I needed to do was warm her up and then tend to her cold. 

Once I got her shirt and tank top off I noticed her chest. A bruise was blooming on her sternum and clavicle. I felt around for any breaks or fractures, but thankfully found none. Her arms also held small bruises but they didn’t look as fresh. 

Her shivering intensified as I moved to her pants, untying the drawstring and slipping them down her legs I took notice of her odd choice in underwear. Boy’s boxers adorned her hips, they were soaked through. 

“I’ll deal with that in a little bit,” I muttered, slipping her shoes off and placing them to the side. I turned to my closet and took out the pajamas, setting them down next to her. Heading to the bathroom, I looked up at the leak, it had begun to drip again. I knelt down and sifted through my boxes searching for the basin I saw earlier this morning. Once I found it, I turned the sink’s valve on again. As the water turned back on, I filled the container with hot water grabbing a cloth and a towel once I finished.

Walking back into my room the girl had shifted over some, but still had not woken up. Setting the water down onto a box next to the bed, I dunked the cloth into it and wrung it out. I began to run the towel down the length of the girl’s face and chest. Or at least, I tried to.

I don’t know how to describe what happened, one moment a girl with red hair was laying down in front of me, and the next a boy who looked just like her took her place. I dropped the washcloth into the basin and stepped out of the room, calmly closing the door after me. 

‘What the actual fuck did I just witness?’

I didn’t even know where to begin. Was she some kind of government experiment that got loose, or some kind of genetically modified hermaphrodite? I took a couple deep breaths and peeked back into my room, she-he..they were still laying on my bed, shivering and sweating.Turning around, I put my back against the wall and slid down, putting my head in my knees whilst trying to make sense of the situation. 

‘What am I gonna do, I can’t just go back to the alley and leave them where I found them, but I’m sure that if I take them to a hospital they’d be turned into a guinea pig in five seconds flat.’ 

Standing back up, I peeked into my room once more, steeling myself as I began to think rationally. True, it was shocking that they were able to change the way they did, but if I was in their position I'd want to not have to worry about becoming someone’s science project. So maybe for now, I could just put aside the fact that they’re able to change sex whenever they wanted, and then gently interrogate them once they come to.

‘Oh my god, I forgot about the waking up part. What are they gonna say when they wake up in a random bedroom of some gaijin who they don’t even know?’

A loud, painful sounding wheeze interrupts my internal monologue. I look up at them as they curl in on themselves, struggling to breathe correctly. 

Rushing forwards, I grab the cloth again and begin running the damp thing over their arms, legs and chest. The wheezing began to subside as their body relaxed and I began to think of ways to ease their discomfort. Once their fit came to an end, I went on a quick hunt for some more clothes for them. From what I could tell they liked wearing boxers, but I didn’t own any. So my best bet was to find out how to change them back into a girl and put them in some of my own undergarments and pajamas I’d taken out earlier. 

I moved my comforter onto them as they began to shiver again. Placing the cloth back into the basin, I walk into the bathroom and dump out the hot water. Looking up at the ceiling, I noticed that the leak had gotten worse. Now the water was dripping faster than before. I knelt down and turned the valve off again, watching as the water flow slowed down again. 

Moving into the kitchen, I filled the basin with cold water. Hoping that this would keep the fever at bay, I headed back into the room for the final time and set the basin back onto the boxes. 

“Now how am I gonna change you if you’re not a girl?” I asked them.

Knowing that I wouldn’t get a response, I wrung out the cloth and folded it up setting it onto their forehead after swiping her bangs out of the way. Their eyebrows knit together as I place the cloth on their forehead. As soon as it made contact, the boy lying in front of me changed back into the petite redhead I’d carried in. 

“I don’t know if you did that on purpose or not, but thank you.”

Now that they’d changed back into the sex I was most comfortable disrobing, I take off their boxers and towel off their thighs, slipping some boy-shorts up their legs. Thankfully I still had some new panties I hadn’t worn from the move, which meant that even after the boy-shorts were soiled, they’d still have enough undergarments to last them throughout their stay. Which I really, truly, hoped wouldn’t be more than a couple days. 

Sitting them up, I place the shirt onto their frame, being extra careful of the bruise on their chest. I began putting the pants on soon thereafter, cuffing the bottoms to match her height. After I place the clothing onto them, I grabbed some fluffy socks and placed them on their feet. Finally, I soak the cloth in cold water and wring it out. Placing it onto their forehead, I step away and head out of the door. 

I had a humidifier somewhere in one of these boxes, so I’d definitely be looking for that later on. However, right now I was ready to put my groceries away and fix my leak.

Looking out of the window, I took a moment to reflect. The curtains billowing around as the breeze came through the window calmed me down as I picked up my bag. Placing my umbrella and poncho onto the ground, I bring all my groceries into the kitchen and began putting them away, unpacking some of my boxes in the process.

The sound of wind-chimes flow throughout my apartment, a small smile creeps onto my face as I reach for the cabinet door.

“This will be okay, I’ll be okay, everything will turn out fine.” 

I repeat this mantra to myself as I work around my apartment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking around at my newly organized bathroom, I can’t help but feel proud of myself. The leak was patched up nicely, and all of my supplies were finally out of their boxes. This place was really beginning to come together. Stepping out of my bathroom, I make my way into the hallway.

It was around eleven o’clock now, so the sun was beginning to set. Picking up one of the last boxes left unopened, I headed into the living room. Taking a seat on the chair I’d set up, I grab the box cutter and begin opening it up. 

“Ahah!” 

Looking into the box, I was pleasantly surprised when my humidifier and other home remedies were starting back at me. I stood up and headed into my room. Opening the door, I set down the box and head towards the would be girl. Her complexion was looking much better, and I was proud to say that her shivering had stopped completely.

“Hey Red, I found my humidifier,” I begin speaking to them as I remove the cloth on their forehead, “I’m gonna take your temperature in a second, but I think that your fever is finally starting to break.”

Walking back to the box, I take out its contents and begin setting the humidifier up. I sprinkle in some chamomile oil and turn it on, grabbing the thermometer as I stand up. Placing the plastic spit cover onto the end, I pop it into Red’s mouth and hold it there until it beeps. 

‘99.7 degrees, not bad.’

I place my hands against Red’s Cheeks and compare the temperature to earlier today.

‘Much cooler than it was this morning, I still want to keep the cloth on her forehead though, just to be on the safe side.’

Getting up, I go to replace the cloth when a hand reaches out and grabs my wrist. My head whips around to Red, their crystal-blue eyes boring into my soul. My wrist is yanked downwards and my body follows. I land harshly onto the bed as the grip tightens. A breath escapes my lips, as I angle my head upwards. 

“Who are you? And where the hell am I?” Their voice is raspy and painful, they cough a couple of times as I struggle to form an answer. I must've taken too long however, as my wrist begins to feel more pain, I struggle to get my hand away from theirs.

“My name is Nagako, you’re in my apartment. I found you in an alleyway not too far from here,” At my explanation, Red slightly loosens their grip, “ You were unconscious and had a really high fever, I thought you could use some help and I’m sure you’d be more comfortable here than in a hospital.”

They completely let go of my wrist as they start coughing again, the sounds of their wheezing was more intense and painful than it was this morning. I quickly get up and make my way out of the room, grabbing an empty basin on my way to the kitchen and filling it up with hot water. 

Rushing back to the curled up form of Red, I dip the cloth from earlier into it and begin to run it up and down the length of their arms and chest. Their face is once again covered in sweat, but I continue to warm them up with the damp cloth. Finally the wheezing begins to stop, and their breathing returns to normal. A faint rattling sound reaches my ears, no doubt it's phlegm, dropping the cloth into the water I grab some vapor rub and smear it under Red’s nose and onto their chest. 

Their nose scrunches in disgust moving to wipe the gel from their face, but I gently grab their wrist and scold them before they do.

“I know that you don’t know me, but if you get worked up like that again, you won’t be able to get better.I get that you have no reason to trust me, but if you keep that on it’ll help to clear up the mucus.” I wipe the sweat from their forehead and move their bangs out of the way. Their eyes follow my every movement; cold and untrusting, but what else did I expect.

“Look, if you tell me where you live, I can get you there tomorrow, no sweat, but for now you need to rest. I doubt you’d even make it that far without my help, this cold is definitely out to get you.”

“I ain’t never ask for you to help me y’know. I can get back home fine by myself, so just leave me alone.” They make a move to stand but immediately sway to the side, losing their balance and falling forwards.

“Hey watch out!” I yelled as I move to catch them. A loud thump echoes in my room, as the wind is knocked out of me. They were definitely way heavier as a guy. I make a move to get up, wincing as my head begins to pound.

“Hey are you okay? Didn’t I just tell you to stay calm and rest, you won’t get better if you keep straining yourself like this!” 

They remain silent as I scold them, having at least enough decency to look sorry. I watch them as they take a seat on my bed, their eyes were unfocused and they were breathing heavily. 

“Look, I promise I’ll get you home tomorrow, but for today just rest up and gather your strength. It’s already around eleven at night, but I can make you some chicken soup if you want some?” 

They snort and look away from me, grabbing the blanket and turning over indignantly. 

“I don’t want anything you make for me, besides I’m not hungry.” 

Only a few seconds pass before a loud grumble escapes their stomach. An awkward pause follows soon thereafter, but almost as soon as it begins I begin to giggle, then laugh. They turn to glare at me as I make my way out the door. Pausing for a few seconds to regain my composure, I sniffle and turn to them.

“You can come watch me make it if you want, but if not I'll bring it to you in five minutes.”

I begin to head down the hallway, but soon stopped when a loud yell of ‘Wait!’ reaches my ears.

I come back to the door and peek my head into the room.

“I’ll go crazy if I spend too much time cooped up in this room! I’ll come with you and make sure you can actually cook so I don’t end up sick and poisoned.” A small nod of their head follows as they begin to stand up again, slower than they did before. They walk towards me and step out of my room. As I lead the way to the kitchen, they take their time looking around at my apartment. From the few pictures I was able to display to the small lawn chair I’d set up in place of an actual sofa, Red soaked in every detail of my home.

“So,” I started, “What’s your name Red?”

“Red, where’d you come up with that?” 

“Well you were kind of unconscious when I brought you here, and I couldn’t really call you ‘The Guy’ or ‘The Girl’ since you’re kind of both, so I settled for Red until you woke up.”  
I turned into my kitchen as I explained, they take a seat on my counter as I grab a pot from the cabinet next to them. “Besides, I brought you here while you were a girl, and your hair is red when you’re like that. Not to mention your shirt was red too when you first came in.”

“Well you can stop calling me that, the name’s Ranma Saotome, heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, and I ain’t a girl, I’m a hundred percent guy!” He puffs his chest out with pride as I look at him dumbfounded. 

“Okay then, Saotome-san,” I turn on the burner and grab the can opener, pouring the soup into the pot and throwing the can into the wastebasket, turning around to fully face him, I proudly introduce myself, “My name is Nagako Anikulapo-Kuti, you can call me Ani-san and I belong to no school of martial arts.”

He gives me a quizzical look, but ultimately shrugs it off and asks me a question.

“So, how long ya been in Japan for?”

“About four days now, I moved here a couple days before my stuff came, so I’ve been unpacking everything today. Sorry it's so messy, It should be completely put together by next month.”

“Nah, it’s fine. Your place is actually clean compared to the dumps I’ve had to crash in before.”

I looked at him confusedly, trying to figure out what he meant by his offhand comment. Eventually, I drop the subject in favor of asking him another question.

“Well, thank you for the compliment Saotome-san. I was wondering about something if you don’t mind me asking.” I give a quick glance over my shoulder as I set out a bowl for his soup, “How exactly are you able to switch genders the way you do?”

He looks at me warily before answering, “I got a curse in China; fell into the spring of drowned girl, the Nyannīchuan. Whoever or whatever falls in is cursed to change into a girl when they come in contact with cold water.”

I poured the soup into the bowl, saving some for myself before passing it to him. He mutters a quick ‘Thank you’ as I pass him a spoon.

“So, if cold water changes you into a girl how do you change back into a guy?”

He stops his eating --if you could even call it that-- to answer me, “Hot water changes me back into a guy.”

I mulled over this information as he ate his food, his poor table manners left a lot to be desired however, I didn’t mind too much since I didn’t know the last time he’d eaten. As he polished off the last bit of soup, his gaze turned melancholy once he figured out it was gone. Silently, I grabbed the pot and poured the last bit into his bowl. 

He looked up at me with clear surprise, a small smile graced his lips as he muttered a quiet ‘Itadakimasu’. 

I smile back at him as he continues his meal. Placing the pot into the sink and walking over to the fridge, I grab a yogurt cup and begin to eat. We sit in silence for a while, eating our meals and listening to the sounds of night in Nerima. The last breeze of the day filters through the room as I grab his bowl and utensils, placing them into the sink along with the pot.

Turning on the water and grabbing some gloves from the cabinet, I begin to fill the sink with water. 

“I actually have one more question,” He doesn’t respond, and I take that as a sign to keep going, “You said you were the heir to a martial arts school, does that mean you live in a dojo?”

“Well, I live in a dojo, but my pop doesn’t own it, he just practices the art. We live with his friend and his daughters in their home. We’ve lived there for about four months. We haven’t stayed in one place this long since- “ He hesitates for a brief moment, opening his mouth, but briefly closing it and turning away from me. 

For a while, we lapse into a heavy silence. I wait for him to finish his statement, but he never does. The water sloshing in the sink is the only sound in the small apartment. 

Soon, I’m done washing the dishes and begin to dry them, Ranma clears his throat and turns back towards me. I glance up at him, watching as he distractedly rings his pigtail around his finger. 

“I,” he pauses as his voice cracks painfully, his cold still holding in his throat, “ I was wondering something.”

At his silence I urge him to continue, “Go on.”

“Why did you really help me, you could have just walked past me, or dropped me off in a hospital somewhere, so why take me to your home, why feed me, why take care of me, why-?” 

I cut him off as he begins to ramble, the confusion in his voice as he wonders my motive for helping him breaks my heart, “ I wanted to. I knew I didn’t have to help you this way, I could have called the local police department and handed you over to them, but when I saw you, the only thought in my head was that you needed help.” 

The way Ranma stares at me makes me slightly uncomfortable, however I smile at him as I remove my rubber gloves. 

“My mother used to tell me that when someone is in need, if you have the ability to help them, you should. I knew I could help you and so I did, it had nothing to do with ulterior motives or making you indebted to me. It's simply a good deed that I hope you’ll pay forward one day.”

“But why? You have me right where you should want me, I’m weaker than normal, I can’t even talk without getting a dry throat, it doesn’t make any sense.” 

His views of humanity are warped, big time, and that’s not the only thing I can tell from his behavior towards my helping him, however I know that thoughts like this don’t come from nowhere. As he continues to talk, I step around the counter and put my hands onto his face, cupping his cheeks and drawing him towards me. 

I look at him in a way I hope is comforting, “In my opinion, I think that too many people have taken advantage of you while your down,” His eyes widen as I begin to wrap my arms around him, “I don’t really know you but I can tell you’re tearing yourself up about this. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, but I promise tomorrow I'll help you get home.” 

Finally I draw him into a hug, his frame is tense at first, but soon he goes slack in my arms. I bring him closer to me and begin to rub circles on his back. If I hear sniffling I don’t mention it, it’s all I can do to keep from crying myself. 

Soon enough he begins to draw away from me, his eyes only slightly puffy. 

“I’m sorry if I overstepped your boundaries, but I could tell you needed a hug. Where I’m from, physical affection is a lot more normalized than here in Japan. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable.”

For a while he is silent, his eyes staring right through me. That is until he begins to bow his head. His eyes are shadowed by his wild bangs, as he struggles to speak.

“Can I-,” He cuts himself off and swallows deeply, visibly shaking as he grips the pants he has on, “Can I go to bed now, please.”

He says it more than he asks it, but I just nod and lead him to my room. He follows along behind me, quietly wringing his hands together as he keeps his gaze away from me.

Turning into my room, I lead him to my bed and grab more medicine while he gets himself situated. I sit next to him while he’s laid down. 

“I’m gonna put some more vapor rub on you, and in the morning you’ll have some vitamin tablets waiting for you once you get up. I’ll be in the other room if you need me, okay?” 

He nods silently as rub the gel onto him. Once I finish, I place the tub onto the makeshift nightstand, and walk to the door, shutting off the lights and exiting the room. 

“Goodnight, Saotome-san.” 

With those parting words, I close the door.


	2. Kasumi Says

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! I guess I was right about my hunch about the Ranma 1/2 fandom still being active here. 33 Hits in one day is crazy seeing as this story on Wattpad barely has 5 views. Oh, and the 3 Kudos are really appreciated. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and there will be more notes at the end!

Nagako’s POV

As I opened my eyes, the first thing to register in my mind was the fact that my back felt like shit. My neck felt like it was screwed on wrong, and my lower back was stiff and sore. I laid down for a while while stretching out on my makeshift bed. Hearing a satisfying ‘pop’, I sat up and rubbed my eyes. 

‘That’s the last time I sleep on a lawn chair.’

My bonnet had fallen off sometime in the night, but my hair still looked good enough to wear in braids. Taking a few moments to meditate, I finally stand and head towards my room; ready to check on my impromptu house guest. On my way to the room, I picked up the cold medicine I’d promised him yesterday.

Most of the boxes had been unpacked and put to the door after being broken down, so now all I had to do was get some furniture to organize everything I had. Last night after leaving my room, I stayed up for a little while longer unpacking some of my other knick-knacks and random things. I still hadn’t found my lease, but I did find the light and gas bill, so hopefully I’d be able to get the landlord to print another copy for me. 

Finally, I reached my door, knocking lightly, I let myself in. Grabbing some vitamins off of the top of the medicine box while on my way to the window. 

“Saotome-san, I brought some medicine for you, I’m gonna open the curtain so close your-” I cut myself off as I opened the curtains, the window was already opened and as I turned around I soon discovered that Saotome-san was nowhere to be found. My heart felt like it had skipped a beat, my stance becoming less relaxed and more stiff. 

I quickly walked over to the bed, feeling the blankets for any signs of warmth. When I felt only the cold linen, I turned around and began to leave the room. The folded clothing I’d changed him into yesterday sat beside the doorway, his original silks were nowhere to be found. 

Stepping into the hallway, I take notice of a notepad I’d passed by before, on it were characters I didn’t remember writing down. Tearing the sheet off of its spine, I found the top sheet of paper lined with only a few parting words, my hand crumpling the paper more and more as I read through it. 

‘Thank you for taking care of me, I can get home myself. Good bye.’

-Ranma

As I reread the note, I find myself growing more and more annoyed. The first thing that got me was how horrible Ranma’s handwriting was, every character was crookedly drawn out, dancing around the page in a curved line. The second thing was how little information the note gave me , he could’ve at least told me whether or not he took the Vitamin C tablets I told him about.

Walking back into my room, I dropped heavily onto my bed, balling the paper up. Throwing it across the room, I fumed for a few moments.

“The audacity he has to just; I can’t even bring myself to; how can he just leave without even telling me!?” 

I roll myself around dramatically, angrily smoothing down my braids while wondering to myself how he left the apartment without me even hearing him. 

After a while, I begin to calm down, sitting up once more, I walk to where the paper rolled to and pick it up, uncrumpling it and reading it one last time.

‘If I really think about it…’ I think to myself, ‘he told me he could leave on his own. He told me he was fine, so why am I acting so surprised that he left?’

I exit the room once again, and place the note back onto the hallway table. I can’t help but worry about my pig-tailed houseguest, he wasn’t just sick he was heavily bruised, my mind flashed back to the colorful sternum that hid underneath his clothing.

For a while I worked in silence, moving the rest of my living room furniture and knick-knacks around. This only serves to distract me for so long and soon my mind wanders back to him.

“I really hope his family makes sure he stays well rested, I can’t imagine what kind of strain walking home would put on his body.” I say out loud, as I finish cleaning up the mess of boxes, tape and packing peanuts left behind from my unpacking.

Putting the trash into a large bag, a sudden thought hits me about Saotome’s oddly silent and sudden departure.

“Did he jump out of the window?!”

Time-Skip  
Nagako’s POV  
With Taiyaki in my right hand and a map in my next, I made my way down the streets of Nerima in search of a uniform store. Over the past couple of weeks, I was not only able to find my lease, but my leak was fixed, and my furniture was set up. Life was looking pretty good, and now that all of my household chores were done, I was able to focus on school shopping. 

Taking a bite out of my Taiyaki, I took a right and ended up back at the canal. 

My mind was instantly brought back to Ranma, I wondered if he’d even made it home or if his fever flared up again. To be honest, after a while I had begun to not worry, but once I left my house to find the landlord, I discovered the same night that he had left, it rained. If he passed out as a girl… who knows what someone could do to him whilst unconscious. 

A shudder ran down my back and I started to move again. The buildings and houses grew more and more crowded, and soon I was in the shopping district. According to the map, the uniform store would be a few streets down and on my left. After stuffing it into my purse, I began to look around at all the shops I could visit while my uniform was being made. 

There was a large market place about two streets over, and the stores that I was passing now were restaurants and home-good stores. I knew where the park was since I’d ended up passing it by on my first day here. 

I began to play with the ends of my hair, the braids having come out around two days ago. I could feel the stares boring into my back as the streets became more crowded, but it wasn’t anything new. My outfit for today was a black t-shirt and a yellow corduroy skirt with heavy black boots. 

The rains were still sporadic, so I carried my umbrella on my wrist. So far today, it's only rained once but you should never be too careful, especially on the weekends. 

I turned left and arrived at the uniform store. The sales lady behind the counter looked up with an obviously fake smile. 

“Hello! Welcome to Grandmother’s Needle. I’m sorry to say but we only sell authentic uniforms here. Cosplay and roleplay needs will not be fulfilled by coming here.”

“Actually, I’m here for some altercations with my uniform. It’s too small in the-”

She cut me off before I could finish my sentence, “Do you have proof of your attendance to the school?”

“Yes ma’am, as a matter of fact I do.” 

“I’m going to need to see that, and we also have a limit to how short the skirt can be. We don’t go above 3’’ from the thigh and our dresses aren’t meant to accentuate any of your natural...curves.”

I handed her the attendance form for my school. She looks it over and begins to guide me to the fitting room. 

“Nao-san will be in to take your measurement soon, please disrobe and wait here.” she smiles at me then leaves the room, shutting the curtain behind her after looking back one more time. 

“Well that was...thorough.”

I begin to disrobe and place my clothes to the side. I wrap myself into the robe they’d left and wait for Nao-san. While I waited, I began to list out the groceries I’d need from the market, while my dress was being altered.

After a few moments of this, a young woman with coke bottle glasses walked into the room. 

“Good morning ma’am I am Tenshirou Nao and I’ll be taking care of you today.” She bowed deeply and I flusteredly returned the favor. 

“If you don’t mind standing, I can start on your measurements so we can get your dress to fit just right!”

“O-Oh of course,” I removed the robe and stood on the pedestal in only my undergarments. She took the measuring tape from around her neck and began to take down my dimensions. Her hands were steady as she moved from my neck, to my bust, then my arms, hips, thighs and calves. Once she finished, she nodded at her clipboard and smiled at me.

“Once it’s completed, the unmodified uniform will be brought into you, and then the seamstress will come to make the necessary changes so that way it will fit you perfectly. For now, it will take around an hour and a half for your actual finished, unmodified dress to be made without actually seeing it on you.” 

I nodded my head once she finished her explanation and began to put my clothes back on. She left the room after placing the clipboard onto a hook in the dressing room. Once all of my clothing and my shoes were on, I grabbed my bag and made my way back to the front of the store.

After paying for the dress to be made, I headed out to the market street a couple of blocks away, hoping to finish my grocery shopping before the hour and a half was up.  
Walking past some more shops, I made a note of all of the little novelty businesses and tourist filled areas of Nerima. There were actually many foreigners here, most of which were Asian but there were also a few Europeans thrown into the mix as well. 

Turning a corner, I began to hear the bustle of food stalls and merchant tents. I was close to the market. Just as a precaution, I grabbed my map out of my purse to make sure I was heading in the right direction, or atleast I tried to.

As I rounded the corner, I crashed into another person. Our belongings were splayed out everywhere and my butt was stinging painfully from my crash-landing. The other person moaned out painfully. I opened my eyes once most of the pain subsided and looked at who I crashed into.

It was a girl, she looked to be around nineteen or twenty with long brown hair tied to the side with a white ribbon. Her mahogany brown eyes opened soon after mine did, and under her breath I heard her whisper out a quiet, ‘Oh my’ .

I spoke first, “ I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going and now I’ve gone and made you fall too.”

I got up slowly to minimize the pain, and extended my hand out to her once I was able to fully stand. She grabbed on and I slowly hauled her up, her eyes screwed together in pain once she was back on her feet. 

She dusted off her skirt and looked down at me, a serene smile displayed onto her face.

“That’s alright, I’m sure I also had some part to play in this. My apologies as well.”

‘Wow, she’s so nice!’

As she begins to pick up her belongings, I scramble to kneel down beside her and help. 

“You don’t have to help me, you have your own things to gather up,” she says kindly. Her eyes closed and her lips pulled into a sweet smile, but instead of deterring me from assisting her it only made me want to help her more.

“Its fine!” I exclaim, as I grab a bruised tomato off of the ground, “I didn’t really carry anything of importance with me today, so I’m not as worried about those as I am about your foodstuffs.” 

Handing the tomato-- and a random leak that was next to my thigh-- to her, I continue to gather her fallen produce until she’s counted everything she dropped.

“Thank you very much for your help,”she says as she begins to stand. 

I was still on the ground gathering my own scattered belongings, but I looked up at her and smiled.

“It was no problem, like I said before you had way more important things in your hands compared to me,” I stood once I’d placed my map back into my purse, “I’m sure if I was in your position I would want someone to help me out the same way I’ve done for you today.” 

Her lips stretched into a motherly smile as she grabbed my hands in hers. 

“My name is Kasumi Tendo, it’s very nice to meet you…” she trailed off, obviously waiting for me to give my name in return.

“My name is Nagako Anikulapo-Kuti, it very nice to meet you Kasumi-san”

“Well Nagako, I was going to continue my shopping, would you like to join me?” She continued by saying, “ I come here very often and I’ve never once seen your face, are you perhaps new to this marketplace?”

“Actually,” I answered, “I’m new to Nerima in general. I haven’t lived in Japan for a long time, and when I did, I lived within the Meguro Ward.” 

“Oh my, I have a couple of friends that live within that ward, I used to go there quite often to visit.”

As we began our conversation, another smile found its way onto my face. I was truly enjoying myself when talking to Kasumi. She was very kind and a great help when it came to finding the perfect groceries. 

As the day wore on, I discovered that while we didn’t truly know each other, it felt like we had been best friends for years. We shared many common interests and jumped from topic to topic with vigor. 

Kasumi was very passionate about cooking and homemaking, but found that she was ready to pursue her own career, preferably within the medical field. We traded recipes and happily chatted amongst one another as we walked from stall to stall.

I didn’t know what it was about her, but it seemed that every vegetable and fruit she bought was as perfect as could be. Not only that, but by being in her company, I got plenty of discounts on good quality meats and fish 

“So,“ Kasumi began, “Did your parents send you out to shop today?” 

“Ah, no,” I adjusted the strap of the produce bag I’d carried with me as I struggled to find the right words, “My mother and Father both passed away a few months ago. This is actually my third week here by myself, I’ve been exploring the area and mapping out all of the necessary routes I’ll be taking before I start school.”

“Oh my, I’m so sorry for your loss.” 

Our conversation lulled for a while. Both of us walked in contemplative silence, only being broken by Kasumi’s polite responses to the stall owners’ greetings and attempts at small talk. I checked my watch as we reached the end of the market street, I had around thirty minutes left before I would have to begin making my way back to the seamstress’ shop.

“I-” Kasumi began, I looked up at her as she began to speak, “I also lost my mother at a young age, and began to do what you’re doing now. I wouldn’t mind assisting you again if we see each other while we shop. I know I sure would have appreciated the help when I was in your shoes.” 

“Thank you Kasumi-san, but I couldn’t, It was very kind of you to offer your assistance this once, but I don’t think I could ever bother you with helping me shop continuously,” My voice shook with emotion as the weight of what she was offering to do hit me full force.

“If any of own little sisters had to do what you’re doing now, I’m sure that I’d want someone to help them out as well, I truly wouldn’t mind assisting you.” 

For a while. I was at war with myself. I didn’t want to become dependent on Kasumi, but the help she was offering me was very generous. I felt like a dil-wad rejecting her. Finally, I had my answer.

“If-if you’re okay with it I would love to have your help.”

She clapped her hands together delightedly, another matronly smile graced her features.

“I truly enjoyed today, I haven’t had such a wonderful conversation in a long time, I know you’re probably busy, but would you like to come over for dinner tonight. I sure wouldn’t mind the company, think of it as an official welcome to Nerima.”

Her eyes were alight with excitement, before I knew it, I agreed and was heading back to the seamstress with Kasumi’s address in my hands.

‘She told me to arrive around five-thirty, so that gives me roughly four hours to bring my uniform home and make a small dessert as a thank you for inviting me over.’

With a nod of my head, I quickened my pace and began to plan out what I would bring to her home. 

Once I arrived at the seamstress’ shop, it took no time at all for them to fit me into the dress and give me my extra accessories, such as the school cardigan, white knee high socks, and my school shoes as well.

“Thank you so much for your help, I’ll definitely be returning if I need another uniform.”

I bowed deeply, my hair flipping forwards and covering my face. As I rose back up, I gave them a smile and turned to head back home. 

Timeskip

Nagako’s POV

I was finally heading to Kasumi’s house. I had a large ceramic dish of apple cobbler in my hands as I made my way down the street. 

As soon as I’d made it home, I began to prepare for my impromptu dinner arrangements. Of course I already knew I would be bringing a dessert to her home, as was the custom I grew up with. But unlike all the times before, my mother wasn’t here to take the lead. It was now my turn to take the reigns. 

After I completed the preparations, I set the oven to preheat and left to bring my uniform to my room. I was buzzing with excitement as I laid out a nice outfit to see Kasumi in. 

I chose a baby blue dress with white and purple flowers embroidered towards the bottom. With this dress, I paired my white ribbon laced sandals and a small over the shoulder purse, which was light brown with a matching embroidery.

After hearing the oven beep twice, I went back into the kitchen and placed the ingredients, which were already in the dish, into the oven. 

I set my timer for 45 minutes and headed into the shower. 

By the time I was done freshening up, the cobbler was ready to be taken out.

It was golden brown around the edges with no burn marks in sight. The aroma filled my apartment as I made lacerations to check the doneness. The apple filling was hot and cooked all the way through, the crust was also finished. I placed the top onto the dish, and headed into the back of my apartment.  
From there, I changed into my outfit and headed out with the dessert.

It turns out Kasumi’s house was maybe three kilometers from my house, a lot closer than what I’d originally thought. 

Her street was quite peaceful and the sun was just starting to set. The more I thought about it, the more pleasant a jog on the street began to sound. There wasn’t anyone on the street and the only thing I could hear was the light ‘thunk’ sound of the shishi-odoshi within a random garden.

Finally, I rounded a corner and stepped in front of the Tendo Dojo, or at least a part of it. The house itself was massive and the dojo behind it only served to make me feel more intimidated. The outer wall was quite long and the inside was nothing to sneeze at.

Once I reached the gates, I let myself in and walked in through a small walkway lined with trees. The home was well kept, I could tell. Reaching the door, I knocked thrice and announced my presence. 

“Coming!” I heard Kasumi's voice shout. 

I stepped backwards and smiled while I waited for the door to open. I was basically buzzing with excitement. I heard Kasumi’s footsteps grow louder and more pronounced as she came towards the door.

As the door slid to the side Kasumi was revealed, she wore a blue dress similar to the one she had on earlier along with an apron. Her hair was still pulled to the side, but the ribbon she wore to keep it that way had changed.

“I’m so glad you could make it Nagako-chan,” she exclaimed excitedly, she motioned for me to come inside, “Your outfit is lovely, dinner will be ready in a few moments.”

“Thank you very much Kasumi-san, I’m grateful for the invitation,” I held out the apple cobbler to her, “ I made this for you and your family as thanks for letting me join you.”

She took the pot and smiled as I slipped off my shoes. 

“You didn’t have to do that, though I must admit it smells delightful.”

“Thank you very much,” I say as I follow Kasumi into the dining room. 

The hallway she leads me through has opened doors leading out into the massive grounds of her family’s dojo. A rather large koi pond drawing my attention to the landscaping of the garden and the entrance to the dojo.  
“Your home is so lovely Kasumi-san; the lands are perfect for a garden.”

“Thank you Nagako-chan, our mother used to have a garden a few years back, but sadly neither I nor my father had time to keep up with it after she passed.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, my mother and father also used to keep a garden though I’m quite sure that what they planted and what your mother planted were completely different.”

Both of us laugh a bit at my small talk, quickly lapsing into silence once we reach the dining/living room combination. 

The first people I noticed upon entering the room were two older men playing shogi in the outside hallway. On one end sat an older man with long black hair and a mustache, wearing a brown shirt and pants set. The other man had on glasses and a bandanna along with a white Karate outfit. Both looked up from the game momentarily once they noticed Kasumi had entered, however they quickly went back to playing when the bald man switched a piece on the board.

The next two people I noticed were the two girls sitting at the dinner table. They looked to be around my age. From what I could tell, the oldest had a page-boy haircut and wore a red and white striped t-shirt with high-waisted light wash jeans. The youngest had her hair in a short bob and wore a pink button down shirt with a light blue coverall dress.

“Nagoko-chan, I’d like to introduce you to my family,” Kasumi motioned to each person she mentioned as she introduced them, “This is my father Soun Tendo, my uncle Genma, my younger sister Nabiki, and my youngest sister Akane.”

The two girls looked up from the T.V and gave me a quick greeting which I hurriedly returned. I bowed embarrassed at the number of people present and quickly introduced myself to them.

“He-Hello my name is Nagako Anikulapo-Kuti thank you for having me!” 

Nabiki was the first to respond, “Pleasure’s our’s, if Kasumi has taken a liking to you I guess you can’t be all bad.”

Her dry tone left me confused for a bit as I tried to figure out the meaning behind her words, soon enough though, I dropped it. 

“Same here,” said Akane, “It’s been ages since Kasumi had a friend over, please come sit!” 

Accepting her invitation, I took a seat noticing that Kasumi was nowhere in sight.

“So,” began Nabiki, ”how do you get your skin so tan, I’ve tried to but mine never come out so even.”

“Oh, um- my skin color is all natural, I actually burn very easily though so I’m not the best person to help you with the tanning thing.”

“Oh! I thought you just had a gyaru tan, so you’re a hāfu?”

I shifted uncomfortably and answered her question, “I-I guess so, my mother was Japanese but my father was African so…” I trailed off as I heard the door open, a familiar voice floating into the dining room as angry footsteps approached. 

“Akane you un-cute tomboy! I told you I wasn’t flirting with Shampoo, she was the one that came onto me!”

My breath caught in my throat, my attention was focused solely on the doorway. The footsteps grew louder and I found myself growing nervous. 

‘I know that voice, I’m sure of it but... it can’t be him’

All of a sudden Ranma’s words came back to me, and I quickly became aware of my surroundings.

‘Well, I live in a dojo, but my pop doesn’t own it, he just practices the art. We live with his friend and his daughters in their home.’

The moment he entered the room, I felt myself freeze, the irrational fear I felt causing me to bow my head and curl into myself. 

‘Once he recognizes me he’ll probably think I’m some creepy stalker or a serial killer who’s tracking him down or...worse.’

Akane’s fury filled voice cut through my anxious thoughts. The person in front of me was nothing like the nice girl I’d been introduced to earlier.

“As if I’d listen to a perverted jerk like you!” She stood angrily, slamming her hands onto the table and moving to stand in front of Ranma. Her finger was placed in his face as she continued to yell at him.

“If you’re so in love with that hussy that you can’t even wait until I’m out of the room to flirt with her then maybe we shouldn’t be engaged!” 

Her voice was loud and grew shrill the longer she screamed. Ranma seemed to be ready to yell back at her but Kasumi’s father and uncle beat him to the punch. 

“Boy, you apologize to your fiance this instant, I didn’t raise you to disrespect the hearts of young women with your foolish and lustful pursuits !”

The man introduced to me as Genma (Kasumi’s uncle and who I assume to be Ranma’s father) began to yell and shake Ranma by the collar while Kasumi’s father cried off to the side, angrily shaking his head while his friend scolded Ranma. However, he soon took Ranma from his friend’s hands and with a look of concentration, his head...changed.

In the place of his normal head, a demon head with a forked tongue and blue fire surrounding it appeared.

Nabiki chuckled somewhere off to the side of me, the flip of a magazine accompanying the sound, but I...I was not as unaffected. 

I was petrified, my eyes unable to leave the terrifying scene before me. 

Soun began to speak, his voice loud and unpleasant.

“Ranma!! How dare you disrespect my baby girl’s honor in such a way, this should teach you to mess with her heart!”

His face became larger and more grotesque while his voice echoed around the room, my heart hammered harder and soon I began to hyperventilate.

It felt like a crushing presence was encircling me, squeezing me and making it hard to breathe. I clutched at my chest and bent over, I was being strangled by the invisible force, the edges of my vision grew spotty and dark. 

Distantly, I realized the yelling and screaming had stopped, replaced instead by a single voice firmly giving orders. Hands touched my shoulders gently as I began to calm down; the presence had disappeared a while ago yet the effects caused by it were slow to leave.

A few more minutes passed while I attempted to calm down, the static in my ears had alleviated as I finally came back to my senses. 

“-ear me -agako?” 

“Nag-o -can you -ear m-?”

“Nagako, please I need you to respond, can you hear me?”  
Kasumi’s concerned voice was the first thing I heard when my hearing finally came back to me. I slowly looked up at her, taking my hands off of my ears and sitting up once more. 

“I-,” my voice cracked painfully, a coughing fit racking my lungs.

“Let me get you some water Nagako-chan, we can talk some more once your throat is better.” 

Kasumi stood, and soon was gone from the unfamiliar room.

I looked around after she left, taking in the appearance of what I assumed to be Kasumi’s bedroom. It was small and decorated with plenty of knickknacks and photographs of both family and those I assumed to be friends. I stood on shaking legs and began to take a few steps towards her desk where a bulk of the photos were displayed. 

As I made my way over, I paused once I heard a heavy tapping sound. I looked around, hoping to locate the source and the tapping began again. The sound seemed to be coming from around her window.

Hesitantly, I took a step towards it and listened out again. The sound began again, growing louder as I walked closer to the source. 

I looked at the window a while longer when all of a sudden a face appeared in the glass. I jumped, biting back a shriek, and let out a sigh once I realized who the face belonged to.

“Ranma, it's you.” 

I reached out to open the window as Ranma placed himself on the ledge instead of hanging upside down on the roof. Pushing it up, I watched as Ranma let himself inside quickly and quietly.

He looked up at me guiltily a semi-bashful look appearing on his face.

“You’re the girl that helped me the other week right, when I passed out in the alleyway?”

“I, uh yeah, I am.”

“I just wanted to say thanks for all that, and sorry I skipped out on you so quick before.” 

“No, it’s fine I would have done the same thing, “ I cleared my throat a bit, "I was a stranger who you didn’t know, you had every right to leave. I was worried though.”

Ranma looked at me and I felt the need to continue.  
“It’s just… you disappeared out of nowhere and it rains a lot here too, I was scared you’d have another flare up while you were a girl and… yeah” 

For a little while we were in friendly silence, but soon a question popped into my head. 

“If you don’t mind, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me.” 

Ranma looked up from staring at the floor, he nodded and I continued, “ I just wanted to know how did you get out of my apartment, both of the doors were locked and I know you didn’t use the key so how did you leave?” 

“Oh, um, I just went out the window, it was the quickest and quietest way since you were in the living room.” 

I stared at him for a bit before giggling, “That seems obvious now,” motioning towards the window he’d just entered through. 

He soon joined me in laughter and for a little while everything was peaceful. I opened my mouth to ask another question but was soon interrupted by loud footsteps coming from the hallway.

A knock sounded at the door as it slowly opened, the clattering of plates and cups against a tray filled our ears and soon both mine and Ranma’s attention shifted towards the source of the sound. 

The door opened wider as someone stepped into the room. At first, I had assumed it was Kasumi but instead of the older woman entering the room, Akane walked towards us with a look of concentration focused solely on the tray in her hands. 

“Nagako, are you feeling better? Kasumi told me to bring you some tea …” Akane’s voice trailed off as she glanced up towards Ranma and I, a look of disbelief quickly flitted over her face, but was almost instantly replaced by anger.

The teacups and plates, which upon further inspection were filled with cookies and other small pastries, clattered to the ground loudly as Akane’s face became covered in shadows. 

A quick flash of red appeared around her and almost faster than I could blink she was across the room. She raised the wooden tray threateningly behind her head and soon it was connecting to Ranma’s temple, sending his body flying violently through the closed window. 

I stood, shellshocked, as his body disappeared and flew out of the second story window; a distant splash registering in my mind. My body moved on autopilot as I frantically made my way towards the large hole in the wall.

“Oh my God, Ranma!!” I exclaimed as I looked down in the Tendo’s yard, Ranma’s body was floating unconscious in the koi pond, his red hair visible from where I stood.

I quickly turned around, running past Akane and into the hallway. My stockings slid on the hardwood floor as I tried to reach the stairwell, but the only thing on my mind was reaching the pond before it was too late. I went down the stairs two at a time, almost falling again before reaching the main floor.

My mind was in a frenzy as I passed the main entryway, forsaking my shoes and leaping straight onto the ground, making a mad-dash towards the koi pond where Ranma’s body was still located.

I waded in, semi-kneeling next to his body and dragging him out onto the grass.

“Ranma, Ranma wake up come on honey please open your eyes!” I slapped his cheek repeatedly and he started to show signs of waking. His eyes scrunched together before blinking open.

“I-” he began hacking and I quickly helped him turn over before he began to throw up. Thankfully he was floating on his back and not his stomach, so not much water had come up. Rubbing his back I gave a hollow chuckle, devoid of all humor. 

“You sure know how to make an impression don’t you Saotome-san.”

“Oh my, Nagako what are you doing out here!” 

Kasumi rushed out of the house and before I knew it she was knelt beside me on the ground while I rubbed Ranma’s back.

“I- your sister came in to bring the tea and sweets, I’m sorry but we didn’t get to enjoy them; they’re all on your floor upstairs.”

“Nagako, can you tell me what happened?”

“Ranma came in the room to check on me and we were talking and then Akane came in with the sweets and th- the tea and-” I cut myself off as I sniffled, my throat was stuffing up making it harder to speak but I carried on with the retelling of events prior, “- and when she saw Ranma she just hit him out the window!”

By this point Ranma had stopped his hacking and was just breathing heavily.

“He landed in the koi pond and I came outside to drag him out but… Kasumi-san I’m so sorry; he never would have been hit out the window if I hadn’t come tonight. Akane never would have hit him if he wasn’t in there with me.”

“Oh Nagako-chan, this isn’t your fault! Akane is… she’s sweet but sometimes she can be a violent maniac that’s just how she always is.”

My mind was racing a mile a minute as Kasumi’s rambling turned to static, I focused on Ranma and his breathing once more. I stopped rubbing his back and moved my hands upwards placing them on the side of his head and turning him towards me. Weaving my fingers through his hair, I poked and prodded at his scalp feeling for any major lacerations or knots.While I checked over Ranma’s head and neck another voice joined Kasumi’s.

“You hit the pond head first from a second story window,” my voice was quiet, but all conversation ceased once I spoke, “You should be suffering from some kind of major damage, at the very least disorientation at most… death.” 

“Nagako-chan, maybe we should get you and Ranma-chan inside you’re both soaked through.”

Kasumi placed her hand on my shoulder and slid it down to my waist before helping me to my feet. Ranma stood by himself on shaking legs, more so from the cold than from his crash landing in the pond. 

We all walked back into the house slowly but surely. I looked around and found the voice Kasumi was speaking with was Nabiki who looked annoyed but not overly concerned. The reactions of the sisters and Ranma himself were worrying. Questions swirled in my mind as we stepped back into the house.

“Nagako, I’m going to get you a towel to dry yourself off. We can talk more about this when I come back okay?” 

I nodded my head slowly while I shifted foot to foot in the genkan, the dampness of my stocking and dress finally registering now that Ranma wasn’t at risk of drowning. Looking to the side I took in Ranma’s appearance, his eyes were downcast and his shoulders were drawn up tight. 

Anyone with common sense could see that something was going on here, and as soon as we were settled I intended to get to the bottom of things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you made it to the end, what did you think? Let me know in the comments!
> 
> I feel like I used the word I too much... more things about my writing to improve I guess. 
> 
> Next Chapter: Welcome to the Neighborhood

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think, comments are my life's blood!
> 
> Also, since COVID-19 has hit my hometown particularly hard my school, like many others, has been cancelled for the rest of the year, I still have work but more time to write is always welcome! <(^ _ ^) >
> 
> Next Chapter: Kasumi Says


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